Testing for HIV

Testing for HIV is free, fast, confidential and simple – you can now even do it at home.

Most people get HIV from someone who doesn’t know they have it – the only way to be sure is to get tested.

Testing is good for YOU

Test negative and you can get on with life, free from worry, more motivated to stay safe and confident that you’ve not put others at risk.

If you have HIV, the sooner you find out you have it, the better it is for your health. You can start treatment and it is much less likely to have a negative impact on your health or the length of your life.

If you have HIV for a long time without knowing, it can damage your health and shorten your life. It’s a good idea to test at least once a year (or more if you have unprotected sex with more than one partner).

Testing is good for ALL OF US

As most people get HIV from someone who doesn’t know they have it, if we all get to know our HIV status we can reduce the chances of this happening.

People on effective treatment cannot pass on HIV. That’s because HIV medication works by reducing the amount of the virus in the body to ‘undetectable’ levels. This means the levels of HIV are so low that the virus cannot be passed on. This is called having an ‘undetectable viral load’.

Get tested

Do your bit to stop HIV in the UK by getting tested.

If you are unsure about whether you need to get tested, use our handy tool to help you decide when to test.

This resource is being developed over a period of time. We plan to review each new section within three years of its publication. If you have any questions about this resource, or would like information on the evidence used to produce it, please email [email protected]